This isn't a big deal - yet - but I can't figure out how to open four separate files in one instance of Excel 2016. In 2010 you could do this easily, but I can't find the option in the new version.

Here's the basic workflow: My user wants to take four separate text files containing raw data, and load them into Excel, then run a macro that combines the four files into a summary workbook with charts and such. In the old days you could open a browser window, select the three files, and click Open. They'd all be in Excel, and if you used Alt-Tab to change between applications, you'd only see one instance of Excel. Now there are FOUR instances of Excel, one for each file.

I've told the users not to worry about it and just trigger the macro from whichever instance of Excel is on top, but it would sure make things less confusing if I could prevent Excel from acting like this.

Any suggestions?

Dennis

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(;,;) Li'l Cthulu says: Please talk about what you're trying to do, as well as how you're doing it.Changing your real table name to "Table1" and your real form name to "Form1" in your posts makes it more difficult to understand what's going on, not easier.Guidelines for Posting Questions

2013 opens all spreadsheets in the same instance of Excel. The difference between 2013 and 2007 was that in 2007, you could not display the workbooks on separate screens.

Normally, you do want all the workbooks open in the same instance to take advantage of shared resources. The issue with having multiple workbooks in the same issue is what I call "all for one and one for all." If you have two workbooks open and one is huge with a lot of calculations and runs slow and the other does essentially nothing. If you make changes in the smaller workbook that causes it to recalculate, the big workbook recalculates as well so both workbooks run slowly. Also if one workbook crashes or freezes, all workbooks crash or freeze.

You can open another workbook in a separate instance. Make a shortcut with the full path name to the excel executable followed by -x. Something like <Path Name>\Excel.exe -x.

Then put this in your send to menu. Then you can click on a spreadsheet file and send it to this shortcut and it will open in a separate instance of Excel.

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Dan

One spreadsheet to rule them all. One spreadsheet to find them. One spreadsheet to bring them all and at corporate, bind them.Please zip and attach samples. It makes life easier for those who have to figure out what you are trying to do. Thanks

I couldn't select "Office 2016" when I created the new thread, but that's the version I'm using. Sorry for the confusion.

Dennis

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(;,;) Li'l Cthulu says: Please talk about what you're trying to do, as well as how you're doing it.Changing your real table name to "Table1" and your real form name to "Form1" in your posts makes it more difficult to understand what's going on, not easier.Guidelines for Posting Questions

You guys are getting instances and windows messed up. The only person giving accurate info is dflak.

A separate instance means that you have multiple Excel.exe running in the task manager. This was made much harder to do from 2013 onwards and Microsoft made it so the windows were effectively 'undocked' from the instance so you can show multiple workbooks at the same time in the same instance. As far as I know there is no way to 're-dock' the windows into an instance.

dflak, another way you can do this that I think is neater is with a few registry changes. I have the option to open an Excel file in a new instance via a right click in the same way as opening in protected mode etc. I even added some options to add a .zip extension so I didn't have to do it manually when I wanted to examine the contents of the file.

Sorry for causing confusion. When I use Alt-Tab and see four Excel icons, I assume they're instances. But if they're "just" windows and not instances, why can't I consolidate them into one window like I used to? Why make things harder to work with? Why take away the option that has been around for decades?

Or am I still confused about something?

Dennis

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(;,;) Li'l Cthulu says: Please talk about what you're trying to do, as well as how you're doing it.Changing your real table name to "Table1" and your real form name to "Form1" in your posts makes it more difficult to understand what's going on, not easier.Guidelines for Posting Questions

No worries Dennis, you aren't causing confusion by asking questions, I sounded unnecessarily harsh there, just wanted to make a clear distinction and try and get us all talking the same language. It is a change in behavior and can seem counter intuitive.

You'll need to ask Microsoft why they eliminated the option to dock all in one window. I can see why you'd want to undock them, its really handy actually, but redocking also has its use but sadly it cannot be done (as far as I know).

Just so that I'm clear on something here ... you are talking about the users manually opening the files and running macros, correct? Just want to make sure that you are not talking about programmatically creating, opening, and modifying the Excel files, Dennis. Programmatically you can open or multiple instances of Excel.

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Remember ... Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins flew to the moon and back with a computer system less complex than a modern, programmable toaster ...

To be really specific, I'm talking about the users selecting four text files in a Windows Explorer window, then dragging them into an open instance of Excel. In Office 2010, this would result in a single Excel window, showing one of the files, with the other three "hidden" but open within the application.

Now, when the users perform the same task, four separate windows of Excel open up, overlapping one another and causing a bit of panic, frankly. "What am I doing wrong?" is the basic question I've been trying to address.

Sadly, I remembered being able to select the option of having Excel open four files in one window in previous versions and made a false promise I could figure out how to do it again. Ah well. I guess I'm no longer the "guru" they thought me to be. Next they'll be coming for my pet tiger, Shiva.

Dennis

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(;,;) Li'l Cthulu says: Please talk about what you're trying to do, as well as how you're doing it.Changing your real table name to "Table1" and your real form name to "Form1" in your posts makes it more difficult to understand what's going on, not easier.Guidelines for Posting Questions

Now, when the users perform the same task, four separate windows of Excel open up, overlapping one another and causing a bit of panic, frankly. "What am I doing wrong?" is the basic question I've been trying to address.

Yep, nothing is wrong, thats just 2013+ behaviour. Gotta get used to it (if you want to confirm check the task manager and you'll see one instance and 4 windows)